William h



(No Model.)

W. H. MAX

WELL 8; J. M. STEARNS,J1-. Y METHOD 0E AND APPLIANCE FOR GONTROLLING AND PREVENTING FIRES IN BUILDINGS.

Patented Oct. 16, 1883. I F39". 2

NJFETERE. Pnulourm hu. Wuhinglon. u, C

UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE.

XVILLIAM H. MAXWELL AND J MILTON STEARNS; JR, OF BROOKLYN, N. Y.

METHOD OF AND APPLIANCE FOR CONTRQLLING AND PREVENTING FIRES IN BUILDINGS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 286,621, dated October 16, 1883.

Application filed April 21, 1882. (No model.) I

. WELL and J. MILTON STEARNS, J r. both residing in the city of Brooklyn, Kings county, and State of New York, have invented a new and improved system of preventing buildings from taking fire, and for extinguishing fire in buildings and preventing the spread of flame or fire in the interior thereof, of which the following is a specification.

The nature of our invention relates to asystem and apparatus for suddenly closing a building or any given portion thereof, either to prevent fire from extending to it or inside of it and to extinguish fire already therein.

The obj ect of our invention is to provide with the ordinary appliances of a building such apparatus and machinery that the build ing threatened with injury or destruction by fire, or already in combustion, can be suddenly closed, either entirely or in any part, and at the same time and by the same expenditure of force fire-extinguishing apparatus within a building or attached thereto may be set in operation.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use our invention, we will now proceed to describe the construction and operation of the same, and we hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, the same forming .a part of this specification.

To accomplish the results that/we desire, we fust state generally the method we employ, and then the character of the machinery to be employed in the utilization of the method.

We provide, first-,that the shutters of the windows of the building shall be of a character to be readily closed, and therefor we employ preferably what is known as the roller-shutter,

and the same is also preferably constructed of iron or metal slats in well-known forms. The shutters in each row of windows, considered perpendicularly, are all connected together by a cable, preferably steel wire, or are so arranged as to their connection with such cable th at they become so connected in operating the machinery. To the cable is attached a weight, which, when allowed to act by gravity, will simultaneously close all the shutters of a perportion of the shutter.

pendicular row of windows in a building or other apertures like windows. The cables, weights, and shutters are all connected together by mechanical means, so that all can be operated simultaneously and from onepoint. Our further invention consists in that, by the operation of our method, as hereinbefore set forth, fireextinguishing apparatus is set in operation in the building. The method in full therefore consists in closing simultaneously all the shutters over apertures of a building by connecting the said shutters together, either permanently or temporarily, by a cable, moving such cable in a proper direction to close suchshutters by the operation of gravity in a weight or retractile tension in aspring, linking such cables together so as to be operated from one point, and setting in operation from such point at the same time fire-extinguishing apparatus to extinguish fire in said building.

Reference being now had to the drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a building fitted with our invention, the lower portion being shown in section and the shutters in various positions. The several rows of windows are shown numbered 1 2 3 4: 5, the shutters being shown in different positions in each row to more explicitly indicate the operation of the other machinery. B B, &c., are the windows. shutters to the windows, preferably rollershutters. A represents the cable passing in front of each window, and terminating at its lower extremity in a weight, W, which is preferably placed below the ground level outside of the building in an area surrounding such building, or in special areas or well-holes in proximity to the cellar-walls, for the especial purpose of receiving such weights and cables. The cables ascend in front of or in proximity to their respective rows of shutters, as shown. In row 5 the shutters are fully open, and the position of the weight and cable ready to operate is clearly indicated. In rows 3 4 the shutters are fully closed, and the weights are at their lowest points. The attachment of the cable to the shutter is by a cleat or fastening, preferably at the lower Such attachment, if the shutters are all of the same height or depth of drop to close, may'be permanent; but if windows and shutters are of diverse heights, as

D D D D D. &c., are the respective c eraser is frequently the case, the attachment is by a catch operated by a button or projection upon the cable itself, such projection being so arranged and affixed to said cable before or in proximity to said row of windows as to connect with and clutch said shutters at the proper apparatus is set in operation by a lever, which is moved by a catch ,or clutch on cable of row of windows 3 in drawings. All the several cables are operated at once by the lever S, which disengages a clutch or catch on each of the cables to permit the descent of the weights XVNV, &c., when the apparatus is to close the shutters. The points of operationof the lever by a horizontal bar attached to it on the respective cables is at G G, &c. v

In Fig. 2 we show a vertical section of a building fitted with our invention. In this sectional view a separate fire-extinguisher is shown for each fioor of the building, and the arrangement of the cable inside the building is shown passing convenient pulleys at the top of the building and descending on the inside of the windows to operate the fire-extinguisher. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the cable A, with a projection or stop, H. G is the clutch, which is indicated at G G, &c., in drawings, Fig. 1, on the horizontal bar attached to lever S. The shutters are attached to the cable, either permanently, as before described, or temporarily, by a projection like m, operating on a ring attached to the shutter at the proper point, through which an will not pass, but the cable will freely pass. There are many ways in which such an attachment canbe made; hence we do not limit ourselves to any one particular shape or design of weight, catch, shutter, ring, cleat, cable or cable attachment, lever, or lever bar or rod. Fig. 4 shows how that a fire-extinguishing apparatus may be set in operation. 0' represents a valve in a water-pipe; L, a lever to;

The dotted lines at rightoperate same; A, the cable; F, the projection to move the same on A, to which it is attached, being moved in such direction as to make con tact between L and F.

Fig. 5 shows the operation of the lever S and lever bar or rod R on two of the respective cables A A at the points where are the clutches G- G, allowing the weights W V to descend and close the shutters by moving the clutch G (see Fig. 3) clear ofthe projection H. Fig. 6 is a plan of part of the same arrange- .ment.

Fig. 7 shows the connection of the cable to the shutter.

Having now described the method and ma chinery, we will illustrate its operation.

Suppose a building provided with our de vices should take fire, moving the lever S re: leases all the weights, which, acting upon the cables, causes them to move, and, by the proper catch before referred to, the shutters are clutched and pulled down, so as to close them over the windows. At the same time the fire-extinguishing apparatus is set in opera tion and the building flooded with water or filled with flame-extinguishing gases, according'to the character of fire-extinguisher employed in connection with the apparatus.

Having described our invention, what we desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent 1s 1. In an apparatus for the prevention or eX- tinguishment of fires in buildings, a fire-extinguishing. device, in combination with shutters B, cable A, drop-weight W, rod R, and lever S, as herein shown and described.

2. In an apparatus for the extinguishment of fire, the cable A, weight WV, or its equivalent, stop-catch G, and lever S, in combina tion with shutters D, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. In an apparatus for the controlling and extinguishment of fires in buildings, the combination of a shutter of a building with afireextinguishing device, such shutter being closed by the operation of a cable and weight, as herein shown and described.

WVM. H. M AXIVELL.

Y .Vitnesses:

GEORGE Srannow, RUssELT. A. GREEN.

J. MILTON STEARNS, JR. 

